Synopses & Reviews
Dramatic, moving, and exquisitely written,
A Better View of Paradise explores the tender bond between fathers and daughters, ponders the delicate nature of healing, and celebrates the redemptive power of forgiveness and love.
Thirty-six-year-old Stevie Pollack has come into her own as a celebrated landscape architect. Her designs, famed for their evocative natural beauty, reflect her upbringing amid the splendor of Hawai‘i. But when critics blast her latest efforts and her boyfriend abruptly ends their relationship, Stevie seeks solace in her roots among the dazzling flowers, and comforting traditions of the islands and their calming waters. Still, in the back of her mind, Hawai‘i holds troubling memories of a childhood with Hank, her emotionally distant father, and a reserved British mother.
Despite her irascible fathers presence, the trip home promises Stevie a welcome departure from her trials on the mainland. But the shocking news that Hank is dying forces the pairs reunion into high gear. As father and daughter attempt to rekindle their bond, Stevie discovers sides of Hank she never knew, including family secrets that have shaped their lives. And what started as a holiday escape for the beleaguered architect becomes a chance for transformation, one as exciting as it is uncertain. Inspired by her fathers insight, and energized by the attentions of an attractive local veterinarian, Stevie learns to surrender her inhibitions and seize the day.
Synopsis
A deeply satisfying novel that explores the tender bond between fathers and daughters, and celebrates the redemptive power of forgiveness and love--sometimes found in the most unexpected places
Thirty-six-year-old Stevie Pollack has earned fame and praise for her landscape architecture projects, though critics complain she's too formal, too rigid. But when her boyfriend abruptly drops her, and her Chicago lakefront development project is panned, Stevie flees to Hawaii, where she spent her childhood with her emotionally distant father.
Hank Pollack has returned to the islands for a very different reason; he's dying. As father and daughter mend fences, Stevie discovers new emotional depths within her father as well as a startling, hidden past.
Shocking revelations force Stevie to undergo a personal transformation both uncertain and exciting. With Hank's help--and the very agreeable attentions of a handsome local veterinarian--Stevie learns to surrender her inhibitions and seize every beautiful day in a reconfigured paradise.
About the Author
Randy Sue Coburn is a former newspaper reporter whose articles and essays have been published in numerous national magazines. She is the author of Owl Island and Remembering Jody, and her screenplays include Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, the critically acclaimed Cannes Film Festival selection that received five Independent Spirit Award nominations, including Best Screenplay. She lives in Seattle.